


Try Once More (Like You Did Before)

by Sokkas_First_Fangirl



Series: I Lay My Life Before You [17]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Alpha Brian, Alpha Roger Taylor (Queen), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arranged Marriage, Bonding, But it's okay to ask for help sometimes, Depression, Developing Friendships, Freddie is a strong independent Omega who don't need no Alpha, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Male Friendship, Omega Discrimination, Omega Freddie Mercury, Omega Verse, Pack Bonding, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Protective Brian May, Protective Roger Taylor (Queen), Running Away, Sexual Harassment, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-24 09:35:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21097289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sokkas_First_Fangirl/pseuds/Sokkas_First_Fangirl
Summary: Being an Omega has never been easy; being an Omega all alone is doubly hard. It's a good thing Freddie's always been capable of looking after himself. It's just hard convincing him that he doesn't always have to.OR: Five times Freddie looked after himself, and one time he didn't have to.





	Try Once More (Like You Did Before)

**Author's Note:**

> I am going to be very busy until Friday, because guess what, ya girl has a new job! A temporary one, but at least it's a job 😂 So consider this one-shot as something of an apology for the slow updates until then.
> 
> Freddie's one stubborn, fiercely independent little guy, who's all too used to having to look after himself. Here, we have some examples of what his life was like when he lived alone, and how things started to change when he met Brian and Roger.

**Stone Town, Zanzibar, March 2nd, 1964** **  
** ** _“I wonder, it's frightening. Leaving now, is that the right thing? I wonder, it scares me. But who the the hell am I, if I don't even try? I'm not a coward. Oh no, I'll be strong; one chance in a lifetime, yes, I will take it, it can't go wrong.” -I Wonder, _ ** **ABBA**

Dazmen was leaving in two days, and Freddie’s parents still showed no signs of changing their minds. Dazmen showed no signs of changing his mind; no matter what Freddie did, the Alpha seemed determined to have him.

He didn’t understand _ why. _Was it just because Freddie had been handed to him? Or did he want to break Freddie down? Did he think Freddie was playing a trick on him?

But if he was honest, at the end of the day, he didn’t care why.

No, what he cared about was his parents _ listening _to him. He’d been having nightmares about the wedding, where the ring turned into a pair of manacles; he’d been having nightmares where he was stuck in a cage, but every time he called out for help he was ignored. Even Kashmira walked past like he simply wasn’t there. He’d had nightmares where his voice vanished; all that came out was a choked rasp. And most recently, he’d been having nightmares about the wedding night, of Dazmen ripping his clothes off and forcing himself on Freddie until he bled.

That much, he knew, was a real possibility.

“I don’t want to marry him,” Freddie said, for the millionth time. He felt like one of those talking dolls, only able to say a handful of phrases. God knew he’d been repeating himself all month.

“You’ll change your mind,” Bomi said briskly. He didn’t even look up from his newspaper.

“You don’t even care, do you?”

“Don’t be so dramatic, child,” Bomi said. He finished his coffee and stood, giving Jer a kiss on the cheek. “And less of the attitude, it won’t go over well with your in-laws.” He left for work, not giving Freddie a second glance.

That was the real kicker. Jer and Bomi _ knew _ what it was like in India, they knew what kind of life Freddie could expect. He’d have no rights, he’d be Dazmen’s _ property, _he’d just be a broodmare, expected to smile and look pretty, no matter what was done to him. 

“Dazmen will look after you, dear,” Jer said, as she began to gather the dishes. “Now, help me clean these, won’t you? Kashi, you get to school, you’ll be late.”

He could feel a scream building in his chest, because Dazmen _ wouldn’t _look after him. He’d been taken out of school as soon as this sham of an engagement was announced; he’d never liked that so-called school, where it was drilled into him that he was stupid and weak, but at least he wasn’t stuck at home all day. He should have had a year left, but he didn’t get that option now.

He’d never get to go to college. He’d never get to be a singer, not unless he did something about this himself.

_ I want to leave, _ he’d thought in that restaurant, on that supposed "date" with Dazmen, and he still meant it. He’d just hoped he could make his parents see _ reason. _But he couldn't.

Dazmen wouldn’t look after him. No one in India would look after him.

But no one was looking after him here either.

“Mama, don’t make me do this,” Freddie said; he hated how his voice broke, because he wanted to rage at her, to scream and bluster, but he just felt like a frightened child.

“Don’t be silly, darling,” Jer said. “Now don’t just sit there, help me wash up. And make sure to wear something nice today, Dazmen’s coming over.”

Freddie looked at her, and it felt like he was looking at a stranger.

_ I hate you, _he thought, and that startled him. His teacher would wash his mouth out with soap if she could hear him. Or hit his hands with her ruler. He wondered if Jer would hit him if he dared to say it.

He didn’t. He looked at her and he left, running to his room, and pushing the dresser in front of the door to keep her out. Ignoring her shouting at him, he found his suitcase under his bed and ran through his mental checklist. What clothes to bring, where Jer and Bomi usually kept their wallets or spare cash, where Jer stored their passports...He could fit more clothes and money in his old school bag too, it was sitting right there in the corner, gathering dust.

_ Two more days, _he told himself, as he went through his wardrobe, only grabbing a small handful of clothes. It wouldn’t do for Jer to notice anything amiss when she inevitably went through his clothes to find something “suitable” for Dazmen to see him in.

Two more days. He wouldn’t back down. He wouldn’t talk himself out of it.

He wasn’t Dazmen’s pretty little dress up doll. He wasn’t stupid, he wasn’t fragile, he most _ certainly _wasn’t submissive. He wasn’t going to India.

He was Freddie Bulsara, and he was a _ person. _ He was going to be a singer, he was going to be the best singer that the world had ever seen, and _ no one _would stop him. Not his parents, not Dazmen, no arrogant Alpha was going to get in his way.

His family weren’t going to help. They weren’t going to look after him, this wasn’t protecting him, this was a death sentence.

Freddie would just have to do it alone.

  
  
  


**London, England, September, 1965** **  
** ** _“I'd be a fearless leader, I'd be an alpha type. When everyone believes you- what's that like? I'm so sick of running as fast as I can, wondering if I'd get there quicker if I was a man. And I'm so sick of them coming at me again.” -The Man, _ ** **Taylor Swift**

Getting auditions was nearly hopeless. A lot of posters Freddie came across bluntly stated _ “Omegas need not apply.” _

One of the Omegas at his boarding house, Laurie, said “No point in upsetting yourself, Fred.”

“It shouldn’t be allowed,” Freddie fumed. 

“That’s just how things are,” she said, shrugging. She was somewhere in her late twenties, an Irish Omega working in London to send money home to her parents. She was sweet, but she never questioned the way things were, and it drove Freddie to distraction. 

“He’s right to be pissed,” Aren scoffed from his place by the window. As per usual, he was smoking, though Mrs Dean would lose it if she found out. He was only a year older than Freddie, a tall black boy with thick curly hair and big brown eyes; he was easily the person Freddie got along with best here. He seemed to know everything there was to know. What’s more, he’d run away too.

“The law’s bullshit,” Aren continued. “If any of those posters said _ No Betas _ or _ No Alphas, _there’d be an uproar. Fuck’s sake, he got turned down from that cafe job for being an Omega! If it was anyone else that’d be a lawsuit.”

“Well, you won’t find any posters like that,” Laurie said patiently. “It’s just the way things are. Besides, he’s got a job now.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s okay,” Freddie said.

Aren pointed at him, ash falling onto the floor. “Smart kid.”

  
  
  


It continued like that. It had been like this since he arrived; he couldn’t say he was _ surprised, _but he was angry. Why did people think being an Omega made him incapable? How was he supposed to prove people wrong if they didn’t give him a chance?

One band he called about asked his dynamic on the phone. As soon as he said “Omega” the guy on the other end suddenly spoke slowly, loudly and extra sweetly, as if Freddie was a particularly silly child.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” he said. “We don’t work with Omegas. I’m sure you understand.” He hung up before Freddie could say another word.

A lot of people turned him away on sight; they took one sniff, realised he was an Omega, and told him _ no. _Quite a lot of them said he was good, but they’d only take him on if he took suppressants.

Whenever that happened, he was the one to say no. 

Maybe it was stupid. Laurie and a lot of the others at the boarding house thought he was being stupid. But he wanted to make it as _ himself. _He didn’t want to pretend to be a Beta. He had a point to prove.

This latest band was no different. They had three Alphas and one Beta; the Beta was the keyboardist, the Alphas were on drums, guitar and bass.

Thomas, the guitarist, nodded when he finished singing.

“Well you’re good, love, I’ll give you that,” he said. “But you’d better take some suppressants. We’ll never make it with an Omega as our lead singer.”

Freddie’s smile stiffened and fell. “I don’t take suppressants,” he said. 

Thomas shrugged. “Then no sale.”

“Maybe he could be a back-up singer?” the drummer, George suggested.

“We don’t _ need _a back-up singer,” Thomas said impatiently. The sole Beta, Alex, shrugged and gave Freddie a somewhat confused smile, like he thought this was a prank. The bassist, Declan, looked totally unreadable. 

“No sale,” Thomas repeated. “Not if you’re going to be difficult. They’re just _ suppressants, _who cares?”

“I care,” Freddie said.

“Suit yourself,” Alex said.

As Freddie turned to leave, he heard Thomas mutter, “Whatever, he’s ugly anyway.”

“I’m not a mirror, darling,” Freddie threw over his shoulder. He smirked as he heard Thomas sputter indignantly, as he heard George laugh and Alex snort.

As he reached the stairs, he heard a shout; “Oi! You! Omega, wait up!”

It was Declan, racing after him.

“Look, sorry about that,” he said, running a hand through his tousled hair. “Tom can be a dick sometimes.”

“No, really?” Freddie drawled. “I found him quite charming.”

Declan grinned. “Listen, they were being harsh. You were great in there. I can probably convince them to take you on without suppressants.”

For a moment, Freddie allowed himself to hope.

“Really?” he asked grinning, bringing a hand up to hide his teeth.

“Really,” Declan said. He smiled, taking a step closer, pressing Freddie against the wall. “Providing you do me a favour.” Freddie’s stomach sank, because he was certain he knew what Declan wanted. In Zanzibar, he’d been treated like a doll; something for people to dress up and direct, something to be left in the corner when it wasn’t in use. Here in England, he was still seen as a doll, but a different sort- a sex doll.

Sure enough, Declan grabbed Freddie’s wrist, guiding his hand to Declan’s crotch.

“Come on, lovely,” he said, leaning in so close his lips brushed Freddie’s ear. “There’s no one around.”

Freddie looked up at him through his eyelashes, letting a demure smile cross his face.

His smile turned into a vicious smirk as he grabbed Declan’s dick so hard the breath was knocked right out of the Alpha. He let out a pained _ “Ooh!” _going red in the face. When he doubled over, Freddie kneed him in the balls as hard as he could, and shoved Declan away.

_ “Fuck!” _Declan gasped; he was nearly on his knees, clutching himself in pain. “You vicious little-”

Freddie didn’t stay to listen. He ran down the stairs, and he didn’t look back.

It wasn’t until he was outside that he allowed himself to show fear. He kept shivering, despite his heavy coat. He shoved his hands in his pockets, but they kept shaking.

Still, he had to admit he was quite proud of himself. Aren would sure get a laugh out of it.

_ You can’t ever let Alphas like that know you’re afraid, _he reminded himself. Under the fear was anger. He was getting so fed up; if he was an Alpha he’d have a band by now, he knew he would. Even if he was a Beta he'd have a band, no problem.

It wasn’t fair. But what good would whining do?

It wasn’t fair. Freddie would just have to fight it.

  
  
  


**Ealing College, November, 1967** **  
** ** _“Tryin' to stand up on my own two feet. This conversation ain't comin' easily. And darling, I know it's getting late; so what do you say we leave this place? Walk me home in the dead of night. I can't be alone with all that's on my mind. So say you'll stay with me tonight, ‘cause there is so much wrong going on outside.” -Walk Me Home, _ ** **Pink**

Group projects were their own type of hell. There was always at least _ one _person who didn’t pull their weight. Now, Freddie knew he was a perfectionist, which could drive people nuts. He knew he had his lazy moments, and his dramatic moments.

But this? This was making him want to slap someone.

Jason hadn’t turned up again. Kimberly tried going to his dorm, but his roommate said he’d gone out over an hour ago. Apparently, there was a party going on somewhere.

The project was due tomorrow.

“He’s such an asshole,” Heather fumed. She snapped her pencil in half, and immediately looked like she regretted it. 

Christopher sighed, looking over his notes on Van Gough. “Did his roommate at least give you Jason’s notes, Kim?”

“Nope,” Kimberly said. She looked exhausted. “He looked, but he couldn’t find them.”

“Does Jason even _ have _notes?” Freddie asked, sneering.

“Probably not,” Kimberly said. “So, guess we’ll have to do his bit.”

“That’s not fair!” Freddie protested. “We’ve enough to do as it is, why should we have to pull his weight too?”

“We’ll get a zero otherwise,” Christopher said. 

“That’s-”

“Not fair,” all three said, rolling their eyes.

“What can you do?” Heather asked. “If we all work hard we can do it.”

They stayed until the college library closed; then they all crowded into Christopher’s dorm to finish the last of it. By the time they were done it was half-ten at night.

“At least we’re finished,” Christopher said, yawning.

“Home time,” Kimberly said. “Heather, come on.” They ambled off, arm in arm. Their dorms were on the other side of the campus.

Freddie had to run to get the last bus back to his flat, but at least he made it. As usual, he made sure to sit up front, where the driver could see him, and kept a wary eye on the other passengers. There was a group of loud, drunk Alphas, but luckily they didn’t give Freddie a second glance. 

It didn’t make him relax. It was the middle of the night, he was an Omega out alone. He’d have to be daft to not keep an eye out, to not watch his surroundings.

When he got off at his stop, he took his keys out of his bag and held them like a knife. He kept his head held high and he marched along. He flinched when a car alarm went off, and when he noticed a tall, broad man walking along behind him, he immediately felt a stab of panic.

He took a deep breath, and the man’s scent reached him- _ Alpha. _

His heart was thumping and he told himself to calm down. The Alpha was surely just walking home too.

But Freddie wasn’t about to take that chance.

As soon as his building was in sight, he _ sprinted. _He chanced a glance over his shoulder; the Alpha was running after him.

Fighting back terror, Freddie jumped over the low wall, instead of running for the gate. He ran to the front door, preparing himself to scream if he had to. 

The front door was tricky; you really had to give it a hard shove to open it. Freddie was running so hard that it fell open for him no bother, and he slammed it shut, and ran up the stairs.

There were a few shouts from the other apartments for him to keep the noise down. A baby started crying and a woman screamed at him to knock it off.

But he got to his flat and locked the door behind him.

_ Don’t be so dramatic, _ Freddie told himself, but that Alpha _ had _started running when Freddie did.

His legs suddenly felt weak, and he slid down the door to the ground, sobbing. It was times like these that he wished he had a roommate. Someone that could have waited for him at the bus stop, or at least would have been waiting for him to come home.

Trembling, he went to the window. He nearly collapsed again, from relief this time, when he saw that no one was there.

He double-checked the locks on the door, and the windows. He pulled all the curtains, and made himself a cup of tea, sternly telling himself to calm down and stop the silly shaking. He was fine. He’d gotten home in one piece, he was safe.

All the same, Freddie slept with the hall light on that night.

  
  
  


**London, June, 1969** **  
** ** _“On the outside, always looking in, will I ever be more than I've always been? ‘Cause I'm tap-tap-tapping on the glass; I'm waving through a window. I try to speak, but nobody can hear, so I wait around for an answer to appear while I'm watch-watch-watching people pass. I'm waving through a window. Can anybody see, is anybody waving back at me?” -Waving Through A Window, _ ** **Dear Evan Hansen**

Freddie was normally an optimist. He was normally energetic, stubborn, laughing at almost anything and willing to lend an ear.

Lately, he wasn’t like that at all.

Lately, it was a struggle to get up in the mornings. He felt like he was drifting around, only half-there. Like he was dreaming all the time. It was hard to stay focussed, nearly impossible to smile. His sleep schedule was a mess; he either slept too much or not at all. His energy was non-existent. The sound of other people’s voices suddenly grated on him, yet being alone made him feel even worse.

He just...He couldn’t seem to get enthusiastic about _ anything. _What frightened him the most, was how little he cared about music. He could barely bring himself to sing, even around the house. Auditions had slowly but surely stopped; he was turned down time and time again, and the answer was always the same. He was good, but he’d better take some suppressants. No? Tough luck, goodbye.

Nothing ever _ changed, _and he was so sick of it.

He was sick of being alone, yet when he let people close they inevitably treated him like he was stupid. He was bossed around, pushed, groped, all because he was an Omega. Every time, when he stood up for himself, he was told that he was an Omega and should know his place.

He was called a slut no matter what he did; he was called stupid no matter what he accomplished- and he didn’t feel like he’d accomplished anything at all.

But he knew himself. He knew he shouldn’t be feeling like this all the time, so he went to the doctor.

“Sounds like heat symptoms,” the doctor said. He was a middle-aged Beta man with glasses, named Henry.

“My heat’s not due,” Freddie said impatiently. 

“Omegas tend to get emotional when it’s due,” Henry said. He didn’t seem to hear Freddie at all. “You’re sure it’s not? You said it can be irregular."

“I…” Freddie paused, uncertain. Because it wasn’t due, he knew it wasn’t. Besides, he’d been feeling like this for three months. Gritting his teeth, he said so.

But Henry waved it away, telling him to take some vitamins.

“Maybe take some time off work with your Alpha,” he added. “You’re probably just worn out.”

“I don’t have an Alpha,” Freddie snapped.

Henry looked surprised. “Oh. Well then, take some time off regardless You shouldn’t be working during heat anyway.”

He did end up taking time off in the end; he got a week off from the supermarket and from _ The Salmon. _He stayed in his apartment the whole time, only dragging himself out of bed to force himself to eat. Even having a bath suddenly felt like an effort, which frightened him as well. He could normally spend ages in the bath, just messing around with the bubble-bath (when he could afford it), or lounging in the water and listening to his beat-up radio.

Now it felt like a chore. _ Everything _ felt like a chore, it all seemed so _ pointless. _Why did he keep fighting? Nothing ever changed.

He curled up in bed again, pulling the covers right over his head, blocking out what little light managed to get through the curtains.

In the end though, he had to get up and go back to work. He felt like crying the whole walk to the supermarket, he felt worse and worse as the day wore on, but he had bills to pay. No one else was going to pay the rent, no one else was going to pay the bills or buy the groceries. Sure, the heat at his flat didn’t work half the time, but he wasn’t about to risk losing it entirely. He wasn’t going to be kicked out.

This would pass. It had to eventually, right?

He didn’t really see how though. But what could he do? He had to look after himself, he couldn't afford to let this take over him.

  
  
  


**The Salmon Pub, January, 1970** **  
** ** _“Now they say your folks are telling you ‘Be a superstar!’ But I tell you just be satisfied and stay right where you are. Keep yourself alive, keep yourself alive! Ooh, it'll take you all your time and money, honey, you'll survive.” -Keep Yourself Alive, _ ** **Queen**

“Alright, Freddie?” Collin asked. He was the manager of _ The Salmon, _a portly, pink-faced Alpha. He was almost always frowning, but he was surprisingly friendly. He was also no-nonsense. Unlike Freddie’s previous employers (and his manager at the supermarket), Collin didn’t let anyone harass his Omega employees. If you touched them on his watch you’d find yourself kicked out.

But he wouldn’t necessarily count Collin as a _ friend, _so he only shrugged and forced himself to smile.

“Just have a cold coming on,” he lied.

“Get some honey and lemon when you get home,” Collin said, and he turned away to serve a trio of college students.

For all that the hours could be crazy, for all that this job could be exhausting, Freddie enjoyed it more than the supermarket. His colleagues here were much nicer, Collin was good for a laugh. 

He couldn’t be there all the time though. If he was in his office, that was when Freddie and the other two Omegas on the staff had to keep on their toes; as soon as Collin was out of sight, someone would harass them.

“Help Kelly out on the floor, yeah?” Collin asked as the evening wore on. He turned to Alan and asked, “When’s that new band due?”

As soon as Freddie went to help Kelly, it started. Two Alphas sitting in the corner kept making comments on his ass, one blatantly asked Freddie to blow him in the alleyway; one pinched Kelly’s ass, another kept trying to look down her shirt.

“Fucking Alphas,” she growled, struggling to keep a hold of the empty glasses; she managed to pass some to Freddie, who shot one of the cat-callers a glare over his shoulder.

“Perverts,” he said. “The lot of them.”

“Wish we could swap places,” Kelly said. “Let them see how they like it.”

Now there was an idea. He wondered what it would be like to live in a world where he was unquestionably in charge. He wondered what it would be like to feel safe walking home at night.

He wondered if he’d be taken seriously as a singer then.

“The new guys are here,” Liam said when they got back behind the bar. “Some band called _ Smile. _” 

Freddie had seen their posters on the notice board by the front door; a big grinning mouth on a black background, with a gold little star on the mouth. He supposed it was meant to show how shiny the teeth were.

Well, they couldn’t be any worse than the last group to book the pub. They’d been so bad that Freddie had clapped his hands over his ears and Alan had mimed vomiting to make Tara laugh.

As the band took to the tiny stage, Freddie blinked in surprise to realise all three of them were Alphas. No Betas. He wondered how often their egos clashed; three Alphas working together so closely just _ invited _fights.

A dark corner of his mind wondered just how stuck-up they were.

They were all near enough to Freddie’s age, from the look of them. The lead singer, a tall skinny young man with shaggy brown hair, looked a little familiar...Tim Staffell. Right. Freddie had seen him around Ealing, but they didn’t share any classes. 

The other two were total strangers.

Brian May was incredibly tall and skinny, oddly elegant in his own way. He had thick brown hair, which was curling at the ends; some of it stuck up at the back. He must have straightened it, but he hadn’t done a great job. His hazel eyes were bright and curious as he looked around the pub. His guitar was red, it didn’t look like any guitar Freddie had seen before, and he held it like it was an irreplaceable treasure. 

Roger Taylor was the typical handsome Alpha; only average height, but broad shouldered, with tousled blonde hair, big baby blue eyes and a smile that could break hearts. His drumsticks stuck out of his pockets and he walked around with a lazy sort of confidence. The other two at least looked a little nervous, but not Roger.

Freddie was all set to ignore them, to let them be background noise, when they finished setting up and Tim spoke into the mic.

“Sorry to distract you from your drinks,” he said with an easy-going smile. “I’m Tim Staffell, these are my mates Brian May and Roger Taylor, and we’re _ Smile. _” There were some cheers; a group of Ealing students clapped, one girl squealed when Roger winked at her.

“Well, it’s a lovely Saturday night- are you _ Doing All Right? _”

And then they began to _ play. _

It was startling. Not because they were bad, no, far from it. They were bloody _ fantastic. _It was startling, because Freddie couldn’t help but listen. As he helped clear the tables, as he cleaned the glasses, he struggled to look away from the little band. 

_ That’s what music should sound like, _Freddie found himself thinking. For the first time in months, he genuinely smiled.

Half-way through the set, Tim announced that they had a new song; _ Keep Yourself Alive. _

_ “I was told a million times of all the troubles in my way, mind you grow a little wiser, little better every day…” _

Tim didn’t have _ quite _ the right voice for some of those notes, but what did that matter? What did that matter when all Freddie could do was stop and stare and _ listen? _

_ “Honey you’ll survive.” _

He didn’t know why he felt like crying.

  
  
  


For the first time in months, as he made his way home, he found himself singing his heart out, not caring who stared. He felt _ giddy. _ He sang _ Keep Yourself Alive _over and over again, the whole way home, even as he got ready for bed he was singing to himself.

_ Honey you’ll survive. _

He would. No matter what, he’d survive; he could take care of himself just fine.

  
  
  


**London, October, 1970  
** ** _"Chiquitita, you and I know how the heartaches come and they go, and the scars they're leaving. You'll be dancing once again, and the pain will end, you will have no time for grieving. Chiquitita, you and I cry, but the sun is still in the sky and shining above you. Let me hear you sing once more, like you did before, sing a new song, Chiquitita.” -Chiquitita, _ ** **ABBA**

It was lashing rain when Freddie’s shift ended. One lovely thing about opening shifts was that he finished in the afternoon, and had the rest of the day to himself; one annoying thing was having to actually _ get up _early.

He hadn’t brought his umbrella, but at least his jacket had a hood, and it wasn’t a far walk back to the new flat he shared with Roger and Brian.

So Freddie pulled his hood up, kept his head down and headed home.

  
  
  


Having a new roommate was taking some getting used to, but Roger wouldn’t have it any other way. Freddie was sweet and funny, and easily the best singer Roger had ever heard.

Honestly, Roger sometimes felt bad for him. Freddie had no family, he’d been living alone when they met him. He didn’t seem to have many friends, for all that he was so friendly. But the more time they spent together, the more Roger saw why he was so wary: a lot of people treated Freddie like shit, their only excuse being that he was an Omega.

It pissed him off more than he thought it would. The knowledge that Freddie had been alone for so long made him feel sick. Because Freddie deserved better than that.

He’d been unspeakably pleased when Freddie agreed to move in with them. Roger and Brian had been worried about offending him, or freaking him out- what if Freddie thought it was some sort of trick to try and get in his pants? But he’d agreed, and they were doing pretty damn well, if Roger said so himself. What’s more, their songs were better than ever, being written faster than ever.

The only real hitch was that Freddie was stubborn as a fucking mule. He constantly refused help. He tried carrying something twice his size? Heaven forbid you offer to carry it for him, he seemed to take it as an insult. Something was on the top shelf, which he simply couldn’t reach? He’d rather climb onto the kitchen counter or stand on a chair than ask either Brian or Roger to grab it for him. (He’d already fallen _ off _the damn counter trying that.) He wasn’t feeling well? He’d carry on regardless, and get huffy if they said he should go back to bed.

But with how hard it was raining, Roger was expecting Freddie to call and ask for a lift home. 

He didn’t.

He came into the flat, completely soaked through and shaking like a leaf.

“Jesus _ Christ, _ Freddie!” Roger cried, jumping to his feet. Even with his hood up, Freddie’s hair was stuck to his face. Roger grabbed the woolen throw off the sofa and ran to Freddie’s side, kicking the front door shut. “Why didn’t you _ call, _you idiot?”

“I-I’m f-f-fi-ine…” Freddie’s teeth were chattering too hard for him to talk clearly. Roger wrapped the blanket around him, patting him down.

His shout alerted Brian, who came running from the bathroom. To top it all off, Brian was in rut. He took one look at Freddie and _ freaked out. _

“Oh my God, are you okay?” he asked frantically. He didn’t wait for an answer; he tugged Freddie’s jacket off, ignoring the Omega’s weak protests that he was fine, really he was. Brian looked at him like he was dying. 

“Get in that shower,” he ordered. “I’ll pop the kettle on. I think there’s some soup left. Rog, did you eat it all?”

“No,” Roger said, rolling his eyes, but when Freddie sneezed, Roger eyed him worriedly. He suddenly looked so _ tiny. _He looked like one gust of wind could knock him over.

“Oh, Fred,” he said gently. “Come on, let’s get you sorted, eh?”

What worried him the most was that Freddie stopped protesting. He let Roger lead him into the bathroom, and pulled the toilet lid down so he could sit. He quietly watched Roger turn the shower on and check the temperature; he didn’t ask questions when Roger fetched Freddie’s warmest pyjamas for him.

“Take your time, yeah?” Roger said.

Freddie looked at him like he’d never seen anything quite like him. Roger gave into the impulse to tuck Freddie’s hair off his face; he smiled at him, gave his shoulder a quick squeeze and left him to it.

  
  
  


For once, Freddie listened; he took his time in the shower, he took his time drying his hair, and when he finally left his bedroom he was bundled in the pyjamas Roger had grabbed, a pair of thick socks and his blue slippers.

Brian immediately pulled a chair out for him and reheated the kettle for tea. The soup was just about ready, and Brian elbowed Roger out of the way when he went to serve it. His instincts must have been on overdrive, because he _ beamed _when Freddie smiled at him.

Roger watched Freddie closely. He looked a million times better, all wrapped up and warm. He didn’t _ look _sick, but he wouldn’t yet, would he?

When Roger wrapped an arm around him, he leaned into it.

“Why didn’t you call?” he asked.

Freddie shrugged, sipping at his tea. “Didn’t want to bother you,” he mumbled.

“It’s not,” Roger said. “You shouldn’t be out in that weather.”

Freddie frowned at him, looking ready to draw back. “I can look after myself.”

“Fred, _no one _should be out in rain like that,” Brian said. Cautiously, he took Freddie’s hand. Freddie didn’t shrug either of them off, or draw back. He just looked at them, as if what they were saying didn’t make any sense.

“We’re your friends,” Roger said. _ We’re pack, _ part of his brain argued. “You can always count on us, you numpty. We _ want _to help.”

Poor Freddie looked like he was waiting for the punchline.

“We mean it,” Brian said. As soon as Freddie’s cup was empty he refilled it. Freddie kept stirring the soup around and around, frowning.

“...You really mean it, darling?” he asked.

“I think he’s finally getting it,” Roger quipped, but he pulled Freddie closer, running a hand through his hair. “Yes, we mean it, Fred.”

Freddie smiled at him, and Brian poked at Freddie’s arm, asking, “So then you _ promise _to call us next time? Promise me, Freddie.”

Grinning, not hiding his teeth for once, Freddie promised.

  
  
  


After Freddie finally finished eating (under Brian’s watchful eye), they all crowded together on the sofa, channel surfing, telling jokes about the presenters and making fun of cheesy plotlines.

It wasn’t the first time they’d ended up in a cuddle pile, and Roger found himself enjoying it more and more. It was weirdly relaxing. It made him feel safe, and it made him feel like he could keep the other two safe. Brian outright _ purred _in content, which let Roger know just how badly his instincts were screaming at the poor guy.

Freddie fell asleep, his head resting on Roger’s shoulder.

_ Mine, _part of his brain purred, not for the first time. Roger didn’t argue against it.

Cuddled up together like this, draped in blankets and watching awful daytime TV while the rain poured outside, Roger felt perfectly safe. He felt an almost overwhelming love for his two friends.

And it seemed like Freddie was finally getting the picture; he and Brian weren’t going to leave him, or walk all over him.

_ We can keep you safe, _ he thought as he began to drift off. _ I can keep you safe. Promise. _

But he knew Freddie could look after himself, stubborn little Omega that he was, their firecracker, so he didn’t say it. Not yet.

**Author's Note:**

> Roger already loves Freddie so goddamn much. They're chaos twins, and I love them. (As always, I tend to imagine the BoRhap versions of the boys when I write, hence why Rog is describes as broad.) 
> 
> And we finally meet some characters from Freddie's old boarding house! They'll play a big part in the finale, as they helped Freddie settle in England.


End file.
